High food prices threaten global unrest, U.N. warns

June 4, 2008|By Tracy Wilkinson Los Angeles Times

ROME — World powers must act quickly and boldly to control soaring food prices that threaten nearly 1 billion people with hunger and could trigger global social unrest, the United Nations said Tuesday.

At a three-day emergency food summit, U.N. officials urged nations to eliminate trade barriers, expand research into biotechnology and boost production with an annual investment of $20 billion to $30 billion.

"Nothing is more degrading than hunger, especially when man-made," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told more than 40 world leaders gathered here.

Ban and other senior U.N. officials painted a picture of potential political turmoil fueled by starvation and shortages, and of rich countries that have failed to keep promises to confront the global food crisis.

Jacques Diouf, secretary-general of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, scolded the world's wealthy nations for wasteful consumption and excessive spending on weapons while they ignore hungry people.

"How can we explain to people of good sense and good faith that it was not possible to find $30 billion a year" to feed the world's hungry, respecting "the most fundamental of human rights: the right to food and the right to life," he said.

Ban said food production would have to grow by 50 percent by 2030 to stave off starvation. The global price tag could be at least $20 billion a year. Countries such as India and China that impose export bans because they are worried about feeding their own people only exacerbate the problem by forcing prices higher, he said.

Ban and other officials advocated continued research to improve crop yields and animal health, more seeds and fertilizers for small-stake farmers and more immediate nutritional food relief.

Historically high fuel costs, the growing demand for biofuels, a string of poor harvests exacerbated by climate change, speculation, changing diets in Asia - these factors have combined to send food prices through the roof. The greater expense makes staples unavailable or unaffordable to hundreds of millions, including what officials call the "new hungry."

The summit is also highlighting disagreements over the causes of the crisis. The use of biofuels, for example, where grains, sugar and palm oil are diverted to produce fuel for motor vehicles, quickly emerged as one of the more divisive topics.